title: Lacidipine attenuates apoptosis via a caspase-3 dependent pathway in human kidney cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalised patients and has a poor prognosis. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are anticipated. Lacidipine, a novel third-generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, has been demonstrated effective for hypertension. However, its potential effect on renal injury remains unknown. In the present study, an in vitro model of renal ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury was used to investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of lacidipine on human kidney cell (HKC) apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  HKCs were subjected to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and recovery (0.01 µM AA, depletion for 2 h and recovery for 30 min), with or without lacidipine (1 µM and 10 µM, 24 h), then cell viability and apoptosis were determined using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Annexin V flow cytometry. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and cytochrome c (cyt c) was examined by western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antimycin A (AA) was found to induce apoptosis of HKCs. The proportion of early apoptosis and activity of caspase-3 peaked at 30 min after ATP depletion and recovery and were attenuated by lacidipine. The expression of cyt c and Bax was decreased, while that of Bcl-2 was increased significantly in lacidipine treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that lacidipine protects HKCs against apoptosis induced by ATP depletion and recovery by regulating the caspase-3 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Aiqi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Shuqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Yujing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shufen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004095:Dihydropyridines; C060285:lacidipine; D053148:Caspase 3